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G.M. Opens Its Own Battery Research Laboratory
Al writes "Bankrupt automaker G.M. has taken a significant step towards reinventing itself by opening a battery laboratory in Michigan on a site that once churned out internal combustion engines. The new facility lets G.M. engineers simulate all kinds of conditions to determine how long batteries will last once they're inside its vehicles. Battery packs are charged and discharged while being subjected to high and low temperatures as well as extremes of humidity. Engineers can also simulate different altitudes by placing the packs in barometric chambers. The facility has also been designed so that engineers located in New York and Germany and at the University of Michigan can perform experiments remotely. Despite its financial troubles, G.M. has committed to producing the Volt and is already working on second- and third-generation battery technology at the new lab."
...I'd own part of a battery research laboratory!
I'm sorry, but you misspelled "the money they're fleecing from the taxpayers."
Exactly.
A question for the conspiracy theory crowd:
If the was so much demand for an electric car back in the 90's, why did GM, Ford, Honda, and Toyota all end production? If there's money to be made selling 100% electric cars, why didn't someone, somewhere on this very large globe make them - thus making a killing being the only supplier?
At the very least, why hasn't someone made a fortune refurbing used cars into electric?
My theory is that it's the same reason my laptop dies after about 60 minutes....
I think another large factor dealing heavily into the American preference for large cars besides safety:
Europe is fairly cramped, overall. Citizens live in dense cities and towns, and drive on narrow roads that were once oxcart paths or cobblestone streets, and small cars are easy to maneuver in these situations. Since this isn't really an issue in most of the US, we prefer to buy larger cars so we can have more legroom, and ride in greater comfort. Performance aside, given the choice between a Golf or a Passat in Europe, I'd take the Golf, but I'd take the Passat in the U.S.
Gas prices factor in somewhat, but most people don't often base a car choice on that alone.
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